Here are seven things you didn’t realize you could do with one of Google’s dongles…

1. Use It Like Chromecast Audio

OK, this is a bit fallacious; you can’t plug your traditional Chromecast into a Hi-Fi and expect it to function like Chromecast Audio.

However, if you have a home cinema system you can get similar results. The key is having a modern AV (audio/video) receiver, an amplifier, or powered speakers with an optical input connected to your television set.

If your AV receiver has an HDMI port, you can bypass the TV altogether – just plug in the dongle and use your phone to see what’s currently playing.

2. Ditch Your TV Remote

It seems lots of people don’t realize that if their device is always-on (powered through a wall socket rather than through one of the TV’s USB ports), they can turn their television on and switch to the Chromecast’s input channel without ever touching the TV’s remote control.

All you need to do is ensure the HDMI-CEC setting on your TV is enabled; it’s what allows your TV to receive commands through its HDMI port.

3. Improve the Streaming Quality

The Chromecast lets you select either Standard, High, or Extreme quality. It’s set to Standard by default, though user feedback seems to suggest most home Wi-Fi networks can comfortably support High.

If you’ve got masses of free bandwidth, choose Extreme for a super crisp and clear image – you can always turn it back down if you have a lot of people accessing your network at one time.

You can quickly and easily change the setting through the Chromecast’s Google Chrome extension or from the smartphone app.

4. Make a Presentation

Soccer fans might be aware of a funny story that emerged out of England a few years ago.

Sam Allardyce was at the Football Association’s (FA) headquarters interviewing for the vacant role of national team manager. Wanting to impress his would-be employers, he cooked up a PowerPoint presentation in an attempt to woo them. The problem? The FA did not have a projector. Allardyce ended up keeping the panel waiting while he printed out hard copies. Needless to say, he didn’t get the job.

Although his story has a happy ending (he was given the job last month, almost a decade after his original interview) – the whole affair could have been avoided if Chromecasts had existed in 2006.

That’s because by navigating to Google Slides, clicking Present in the top right-hand corner, then choosing Present on Another Screen from the drop-down menu, Allardyce could have easily broadcast his presentation onto any screen in the building. And you can do the exact same thing to avoid suffering the same fate as Allardyce.

Guest Mode works by letting the dongle emit a special beacon to nearby users. The Cast icon will then be automatically displayed on your visitors’ devices – all they need to do is connect. It should work automatically, but if it fails for some reason, they can also use a 4-digit PIN code.

The feature can be enabled through the Settings menu in the smartphone app.

6. Shared YouTube Playlists

Let’s assume you’re using your Chromecast as an audio player (as described above), and you have enabled Guest Mode for your upcoming party.

7. Free Offers

Google often provides great giveaways to Chromecast owners, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned owner or a complete and utter n00b.

For example, at the time of writing you can either get a two-month free trial of Spotify, or a 90-day free trial of Google Play Music. That’s five months of music streaming without you having to spend a cent.

Tell Us Your Hot Chromecast Tips

I’ve shown you seven lesser-known things to do with a Chromecast, but there are loads of other awesome things you can do with a Chromecast. If you know of any others that aren’t on the list, please let us know in the comments below.

A Chromecast, connected to an appropriate screen, makes a great photo/picture frame.

I recently set one up on an old monitor at my mothers place. I created a google photos album, and set that as a backdrop, along with the weather and clock options. I then shared the album with my sister, so that she can add photos to it at any time. Now, either of us can really simply update the album and have new photos of the grandkids, or whatever else takes our fancy, appear in my mothers living room.

I don't know of a way to change the settings in the Google Cast app. Author can be more descriptive of the process. In the settings for the App there is nothing about quality.

In the Chrome browser on a computer there are settings for video quality, either in the cast extension or now built right in to the browser as of the reason updates.

Any issues anyone is having could be do to you

1. Router 2. Network speed 3. Streaming source. I know that Showbox is not a reliable streaming source.
4. It's possible you have a faulty unit, try to reset/reset up the Chromecast and if it is the only thing have streaming issues contact Google for a replacement.

If your device is connected via a wired connection (regular ethernet or gigabit), you can typically select the highest quality setting that's available. This makes it more likely that your content will be able to Direct Play or Direct Stream (if you also have those options enabled) which will typically result in the best experience.

If your device is connected via a wired connection (regular ethernet or gigabit), you can typically select the highest quality setting that's available. This makes it more likely that your content will be able to Direct Play or Direct Stream (if you also have those options enabled) which will typically result in the best experience.

Dan is a British expat living in Mexico. He is currently a Senior Writer for MakeUseOf. At various times, he has been the Social Editor, Creative Editor, and Finance Editor. He also writes for MUO's sister site, BlocksDecoded. Prior to his writing career, he was a Financial Consultant.